Monday, December 20, 2010

Just as you always hear the same Christmas Carols every year, thiscolumn seems to always be dedicated every year to the problem ofHomeowners Insurance. Well, here we go again! The General Assemblyof North Carolina passed House Bill 1305 which, in a nut shell, madethe insurance companies that do business in NC responsible for 1Billion (note the B) of losses on the coast to homes insured by theNorth Carolina Beach Plan (in the event of a large hurricane). Thisof course, is in addition to the losses they would have to handle andpay for with their own clients.Therefore, the state has allowed all companies to raise their rates,in unprecedented levels, in anticipation of this eventuality. Ratesbegan going up in the third quarter of 2010, so not everyone hasexperienced the shock yet.Some companies are in better position to handle this than others. Youwill be happy to know that our two main companies are probably the twobest, Erie and Auto-Owners. Yes, their rates have gone up but not asmuch as the competitors. We are insuring new clients every day so Iknow we are still the place to be!It is becoming more important than ever to try to have your Home andAuto's insurance with the same company. With the price of Homeownerswhat it is, having the Multi-Policy discount can be enough to fillSanta's Sleigh!I'm also seeing lot of teaser rates out there for Auto Insurance.Some of the companies make no bones about not wanting your Homeinsurance, but they are scrambling to snap up your Auto insurance. Youhave probably seen the companies advertising that they give you adiscount to switch your insurance to them. Well, they are giving youa discount for sure, but this discount soon disappears in subsequentrenewals. I guess they feel insurance policies are like boiling a frog-- if you slowly turn up the heat the clients won’t notice! On theother hand we have clients from those same companies come to us andexperience up to 30% savings. Isn't this kind of like dumping yourold friends in favor of your new friends? The companies we representtreat all their clients on a consistent basis, I think that is the wayit is supposed to be.Lastly, advertising. You cannot turn on any electronic device(besides your electric razor) and not be inundated with ads frominsurance companies. Ever wonder who pays for that? Our conservativecompanies choose minimal advertisements in order to best serve theirclients. So, if you’re ever feeling the need for a funny amphibianneighborly voice to tell you we’re taking care of you…

give the office a call. We’ll tell you a joke and assure you thatwe’ve got your best interests at heart. All at no charge!

Work, work, work! I’m sure all of our clients have been doing thesame in 2010. To help make your life easier when it comes toChristmas mail, the Cline Hall Agency Christmas Newsletter has gonedigital! We thought you might be like us, all of the junk mailreceived in December somehow has a way of obscuring the real stuff.Since we all rely on e-mail most of the time, we thought you mightenjoy a nice read online – So, sit back with a cup of hot cocoa, yourlaptop and enjoy!! It’s been a great 12 months at Cline Hall Agency since our lastChristmas chat, we’ve had our trials, our highs and lows,but over all, we’re going to wrap up the year on a high note. Onepositive change to this year was the tall mid-western Yankee we’veadded to our CHA family: Art Ingraham. Sure he has a bit of anaccent and he lives off of cheese and bratwursts, but he is finding hisway around the Bojangles’ menu just fine, and picking up on the properusages of “y'all” and “cut the lights off”. Art is a recent graduateof the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (2008), and he is quicklypicking up southern hospitality in regards to working with our clients.His impeccable insurance skills have helped make him an asset to ourCHA family, and he has diligently worked to drum up new business whilelooking after the clients we’ve got now. So, if you call in and speakto Art, be sure to put on your most charming southern accent andwelcome him to the beautiful state of North Carolina!Another change in our family is regarding our beloved Amy Wilson... As many of you may have noticed, Amy has been in andout of the office due to her participation in nursing school. She’s doneexceptionally well academically, and the time has come for her tofocus full-time on her nursing career, though she may still be making guestappearances in the office. We’ll miss Amy and her southern sassynessaround the office! What a great agent, friend and co-worker she’sbeen to us all. We’ll miss you, Amy Wilson – Don’t be a stranger!If you’ve been keeping track, we’ve add a man and lost a woman. What?Could it be – the battle of the sexes has flipped. Cline Hall Agency is now:Cline, Art, Cynthia and .5 of Sarah (via online working). That’sright, Men: 2 Women: 1.5. Throw out those pink sticky notes and forgetthe salads for lunch – you are on man turf now. So if anyone wants towatch the game, come on over while the men reign in the office. It’sbeen a long time of woman domination, but Santa’s finally given Clinea Christmas Miracle: More men in the office than women. Ho, Ho, Ho!If your cocoa is still hot, and you’re ready to hear about moreinsurance news, you’re only a mouse click away from your Christmas Wishes.

I know when you all sat on Santa’s lap this year, each and every oneof you asked for lower insurance rates! Right? Well, here are sometips to make sure you qualify for the “Nice List” this year:1. Better Be Good: No Tickets, accidents, or claims are the biggestfactor concerning your auto insurance. Even if the Patrolman says"this won't cause your rates to go up", it doesn't mean you will notlose a discount you might have on your policy now. In fact, somehomeowner’s policies are even charging for claims now.2. Better Not Pout: Financial Stability has a big bearing on ratescurrently; This is loosely based on credit. Companies do a "back doorhit" and attempt to use their crystal ball in determining who will bea “better risk”. This process isn’t quite the same as qualifying fora loan, but wise use of your finances will equate to lower rates.3. Better not Cry: Multi-policy discounts have the potential to beHUGE! Unless you have some blemishes that would prevent you frominsuring your Auto with your Homeowners carrier, it usually pays bigto do so.4. I'm telling you why: Higher Deductibles -- especially onHomeowners. It used to be the standard to have a $250 deductible, butnow it pays to have a $1000 deductible (or higher). With theincreases in Homeowners’ premiums, it is not unusual to save hundredsof dollars by upping your low deductible.I love to talk about saving my clients money, so if you want to knowmore about these subjects e-mail us or give us a call!

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can and quickly. You can’t find it any other time of the year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories. It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It’s a treat, enjoy it. Have one for me, in fact have two!

3.If something comes with gravy, use it! That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand-alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. While on the subject of mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re madewith skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim pass, why bother? That would be likebuying a sports car with an automatictransmission.

5.Hot Chocolate and candy canes are non-caloric through December 25th.

6. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free and lots of it.

7.Under no circumstance should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

8. On the subject of desserts, normal stipulations to how many you can have are null and void this time of the year. Feel free to have one of each, if there is one you don’t like (mincemeat for example) this allows you to then have two of another item. Cookies are considered one item for the total, not each. Fruitcake is nota normal dessert, make your own decision.

9. One final tip, if you are able to leave the party or get up from the table with out loosening your pants you have insulted you host and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Reread this list and get back to eating!

About Us

The Cline Hall Agency, Inc. is an independent insurance agency proudly representing the Erie Insurance Group, Progressive and other fine companies. By representing several companies, we are able to provide you with one-stop convenience for all of your insurance needs at the most affordable rates.